Bell Boeing/Agusta Bell AB609 variants

Its so weird to think that the 609 will be old enough to drink this year. Stranger still to consider I was a teenager when it first flew, and that I was lucky enough to live under the route that they flew it during initial flight tests. I remember being so excited, "The Civilian Tiltrotor is finally happening!" And now I'm sitting here 20 years later, hair turning grey, sliding towards middle age, starting on the path towards being a grumpy old man and we're still waiting. Sigh.

Someday.. Maybe..
 
If @WatcherZero is correct, I suspect that the initial plan is to develop the larger tiltrotor in that there is both civil and military application more so than either the AW-609 or V-280.

Of note that if Bell is partnered again with Leonardo, the contractual agreement prohibiting the miliary sales of AW-609 is possibly void. Of course, Bell may not want the competition in the military market too soon, before FLRAA is in production.
 
Nobody will buy a 609 if they can have their hands on the mass produced, newer, better field tested 280 for military use.
The 609 will probably stands as a better option for some light military usage, like SAR, enforcement etc, given it being sized for civilian market.
Nobody for example buy a Blackhawk when they can do with a H125 Squirrel instead.
 
@Grey Havoc : Kudos for digging that up, 15 years after its first publishing.

The quality of the render is amazing for the time of the publication. It would suggest that the program was really a priority for Bell.
 
From last year:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeoLI3NPGN8


Leonardo
33.1K subscribers


16,355 views Jun 27, 2024 #Leonardo #AW609 #tiltrotor
The #AW609 #tiltrotor programme set another major industry capability milestone after its first successful ship trial, which was recently conducted with the support of the Italian Navy.

From April 3-12, the AW609 AC4 aircraft, fully representative of the final production configuration, performed demonstration trials relocating from Leonardo’s facility based in Cascina Costa (Samarate) to Maristaer Grottaglie Naval Base. The tiltrotor, with test pilots and flight test engineers from #Leonardo (supported by Italian Navy personnel for the embarked operations), took off from the base inbound from the Italian aircraft carrier (ITS CAVOUR - Navy Fleet Flagship), 20 nm offshore, showing its effective approach, stable deck landing, and touchdown capabilities.

The demonstration trials are the latest step taken in the activities carried out by a joint working group established in 2022 that includes #Leonardo, the Italian Navy, the Esercito Italiano - Italian Army and Italy's Customs Police (Guardia di Finanza). The working group is intended to evaluate the potential of tiltrotor technologies as complementary capabilities to the assets already in use among government services, providing a fast long range capability with vertical take-off and landing and fast cruise, above the weather thanks to the AW609’s unique pressurized cabin and high altitude performance.
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Also:
www.ainonline.com

Military Variant of Leonardo AW609 Appears a Likely Option for Government Customers | AIN

The U.S. Army's contract award to Bell to develop its V-280 tiltrotor for an assault aircraft raises speculation of the AW609's use as an escort vehicle.
www.ainonline.com www.ainonline.com

Since 2011, the AW609 has undergone if not a redesign, then certainly an optimization of the original design and supply chain. The cabin height has increased from 54 to 60 inches, width now spans 58 inches, and length totals 13 feet, 5 inches—dimensions that make the AW609 just as large or more spacious than popular business turboprops. Leonardo gave the main cabin door a clamshell design and widened it to 35 inches, making the 609 more suitable for a medevac role, especially when fitted with an integrated 600-pound hoist. With auxiliary tanks, the 270-knot AW609 flies to a maximum unrefueled range of 1,000 nm. The aircraft is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67A turboshafts and equipped with Collins Pro-Line Fusion digital avionics. In a utility/military configuration, the cabin can accommodate 12 passengers and 2 crew.
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Has this program progressed at all with European Certification? Maybe they should try China. With the FAA, a crash during test is tantamount to program death, especially with rotorcraft. The bureaucrats will wait you out.
 
yasotay said:
Has this program progressed at all with European Certification? Maybe they should try China. With the FAA, a crash during test is tantamount to program death, especially with rotorcraft. The bureaucrats will wait you out.
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If someone finds the right coffee to feed the POTUS, he can change the bureaucrats out.
 

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